Palmiers

Also known as palm trees or elephant ears, these French puff pastries are easy-to-make elegant bites of crunchy-sweetness.

Scatter ½ c. sugar on the work surface and place the dough on top. Scatter another ½ c. of sugar over the dough. Press the sugar into the dough with a rolling pin. Turn the dough over and make sure the sugar sticks to it. If the dough begins to stick to the work surface, add more sugar to roll it out.

Fold both outer edges of the dough in toward the middle from the top and bottom. Then fold the rectangle of dough in half, left to right. Finally, fold the bottom edge up to the top one. Set aside any remaining sugar on a small plate. Press the dough lightly with the palm of your hand, then chill it for about 30 minutes, or until firm. (The dough may be left until the next day before baking. Do not be alarmed if most of the sugar melts.)

Set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.

Slice the folded dough every ⅓-in. and dip the cut sides into the reserved sugar before placing on a Silpat or parchment lined baking sheet. Leave at least 2 inches of space on all sides of each palmier because they spread.

Bake for about 20 minutes, until they are well caramelized. If the heat of the oven is uneven, it may be necessary to remove some of the pastries from the pan and return the others to the oven to finish baking. Let the color of the caramelized sugar be your guide; it should be deep amber, not brown.

Cool the pastries on a rack and serve them warm for best flavor.

Tested and perfected in the Sur la Table kitchen

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